Recipe adapted from the cookbook, Everyday Cooking For Beginners - Break That Kitchen In, by Vineeth Subramanyam.
More great
Pork Recipes.
Spice-Rubbed Crusty Pork Tenderloin
Recipe Type:
Pork,
Chile Peppers,
Spinach,
Cilantro
Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients:
1 (2-pound) pork tenderloin roast
3 large cloves of
garlic, finely chopped
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1/4 habanero
chile pepper
(or to taste), finely chopped
2 teaspoons meat masala, divided*
2 teaspoons garam masala, divided**
2 teaspoons chili powder, divided
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lime
3 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil, divided
Chopped
cilantro leaves
1/4 cup all-purpose
flour
1/2 bunch fresh
spinach, de-stemmed and thoroughly washed
1/2 red onion, julienne
1/2 cup red
wine
1/2 tablespoon butter
Cilantro sprig (or chives if you prefer) for garnish
* Meat Masala is a special blend of Indian spices ideal for cooking any kind of
beef, pork, or lamb. Meat Masala can be found in the international section of grocery stores.
** Garam Masala is a blend of aromatic pungent ground spices common in the Indian cuisine.
Garam Masala can be found in the international section of grocery stores.
Preparation:
Trim
the tenderloin roast of fat and silverskin.
Note: Silverskin is a silvery-white connective tissue. It doesn't dissolve when the
tenderloin is cooked, so it needs to be trimmed away. If the silverskin is not
trimmed off, it will cause the tenderloins to curl up into the shape of a quarter moon. Score the meat at various points across the width of the tenderloin and
set aside.
Place roast in a large resealable plastic bag and set into a shallow dish. In a small bowl, combine
combine garlic, ginger, habanero chile pepper, meat masala, garam masala, chili powder, turmeric powder, salt,
pepper, and lime juice. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and some chopped cilantro
leaves and whisk well to combine. Pour and rub mixture over pork tenderloin and close
bag. Marinate in the refrigerator several hours or overnight, turning roast occasionally
to distribute marinade. Drain, discarding marinade. Bring roast to
room temperature before cooking.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
On a large plate (pie plate), combine
flour, remaining 1 teaspoon meat masala, and remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder;
set aside. Dredge the marinated tenderloin the the seasoned flour mixture,
coating all sides; shake off any excess flour.
In a large sauté pan or frying pan over
medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the
prepared tenderloin and sear until all sides are evenly browned. When
the tenderloin has been evenly browned on all sides, transfer the pan to
the oven. Let the tenderloin cook in the oven for approximately 25 to 30
minutes or until a
meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of the roast registers 145° to 150 degrees F.
This
is the type of cooking and meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking. I get many readers
asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the
Thermapen Thermometer shown in the photo on the right. Originally designed for professional users, the
Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is used by chefs all over the world. To learn more about this excellent
thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just click on the underlined:
Thermapen Thermometer.
Remove from oven and transfer onto a cutting
board; let tenderloin stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving (meat
temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees after it is removed from the
oven). After resting, carve the meat into about 10 pieces across
the length of the tenderloin.
In the same pan over medium heat, add the
remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute the spinach and red onion, adding just a
pinch of salt and pepper, 4 to 5 minutes or just until the spinach
begins to wilt. Remove from heat and transfer cooked spinach to a bowl.
NOTE: The spinach will make the foundation on which to lay the pieces of
cooked tenderloin.
Deglaze the pan with red wine; reduce by
half. Once reduced, add the 1/2 tablespoon of butter; stir until
combined. NOTE: If you are adventurous, you could use the remaining
flour mixture from coating the tenderloin and make a roux.
If serving family style, arrange the
tenderloin on a big serving platter over the sautéed spinach. Drizzle
the pan sauce on top, and garnish with sprigs of cilantro leaves. If
serving individual portions, create a bed of sautéed spinach on each
plate. Add two pieces of tenderloin and drizzled the pan sauce on top.
Garnish with two crossing sprigs of cilantro leaves or chives.
Makes 4 servings.
